There is increasing awareness of the damage done to human skin by unprotected exposure to the sun. Recently, concerns about exposure to ultra violet radiation in particular have heightened, due to concerns about damage to the ozone layer.
Exposure to the sun naturally occurs in many outdoor sports, such as golf, tennis, fishing, bicycling, etc. Additionally, many people enjoy simply relaxing outdoors in the sun.
In view of the awareness of the potential damage caused by solar radiation, many people commonly provide themselves with suitable protection, typically relying on a combination of suitable clothing, sunglasses, and a fluid sunscreen. The fluid sunscreen is usually applied as a lotion or cream to exposed areas of the skin. For many outdoor activities, long clothing covering much of the skin can be used. However, this is uncomfortable and unsuitable in hot climates, and is impractical for certain sports, such as tennis. In any event, many people enjoy sunbathing and getting a tan.
Where someone is deliberating setting out to sunbathe or engage in an activity which will result in significant exposure to solar radiation, the person usually has no difficulty in making suitable preparations; that is to say, they will routinely take with them sunglasses and some form of fluid sunscreen. However, there are many instances where a person may not be so well prepared.
While many people routinely carry sunglasses with them, they will often not remember to carry suntan lotion. Consequently, they can find themselves exposed to the sun, and only have their sunglasses available for protection.
Even if they are wearing long-sleeved clothing, there are parts of the body, which are extremely sensitive, and can become rapidly sunburned. For example, the back of one's neck, and ears and nose can become sunburned quite quickly. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide some means by which a user of a pair of sunglasses can have available to them at all times, at least a modest supply of suntan lotion or cream, in case they should need it.
Sunglasses have traditionally just been designed and configured for use as sunglasses. They are provided either as a separate pair of glasses; or as a simple frame intended to clip on to the frame of an existing pair of eye glasses, with the sunglasses then having no separate side frames or temple pieces. More recently, the sunglasses have been provided which include temple pieces and are intended to fit over existing eye glasses.
Certain novelty frames have been suggested, for example, as in Italian patent 617,318 or in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,355 and 4,687,306, both to Lipson et al. The Italian patent is concerned with providing a mechanism for dispensing perfume. The U.S. patents are solely concerned with providing a novel visual effect, by providing a transparent frame, with coloured liquid inside it.